The Name's Frost, Jack Frost
by letitgo0
Summary: He's an uptight, skeptic CIA agent. She's a quiet, misunderstood college student. A case in his job draws them together, but he was trained to not trust anyone. Can he run from love, or will he fall into it? Will he choose his career, or fate, before it's too late—when everyone will find out who he really is? [Jelsa, College/Spy AU]
1. Mission 1: Intro

_Jack_

I thought this whole case was a _terrible _idea. In fact, I _knew _it was ever since that dreaded cup of black coffee spilt—and stained itself all over my nice Oxford shirt.

_First day on the job, and this happens._

Alarmed, I look up at the girl who accidentally ran into me_. _"Oh, god," she clasps her hand over her mouth, holding her coffee cup in the other. "I am _so _sorry."

I grunt as I look into her icy blue orbs, the pale color reminding me of my own eyes. But you know how they say the eye is the window to the soul? You can't tell anything from my eyes—you can't make out one single emotion, no matter how hard you look. And I make sure nobody can tell.

I've been trained all of my career to keep my emotions hidden, to _never _let my face become an open book. I can't trust _anyone,_ because it would interfere with my job, and that point has been made very clear to me.

But her eyes showed me a world of pain. I could see the lifelessness behind them by just one glance—the utter depression and sadness she endured everyday. I wasn't supposed to care, and maybe I didn't at the time. I was consumed with annoyance, obsessing over my shirt.

They told me her name was Elsa Anderson. That she was quiet. A geek. Misunderstood. A disappointment of a sister to Anna Anderson: one of the most popular and friendly girls on campus.

But she became perfect to me. I wasn't supposed to fall for her; I wasn't supposed to trust a soul. The purpose of me coming to Guardian U was strictly for business reasons only—for the case.

Speaking of the case: it was overwhelming to me, and it interfered with my love for Elsa. It got in the way of everything. And _she _didn't know who I really was—she didn't know who I worked for. It would only be a matter of time before _everything _would come crashing down, and our lives would be in peril.

Being a secret agent for the CIA was never easy, and never will be. But sometimes, instead of going with my gut—I learned to follow my heart.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm really excited to write this. I was inspired by James Bond, and all my friends know how obsessed I am with Jelsa, so—here you go. More updates to come soon! All reviews are appreciated.


	2. Mission 1: Undercover

_Jack_

It all started with the murder of Nicholas North: dean of the Guardian University. He was found dead in his office this morning, and everyone at work was extremely fired up about the matter.

Yes, I'm a CIA agent. The name's Jack Frost. I'm tall, sensitive, and kind of grumpy at times. At this point in time, I didn't trust anyone. I was _trained _to never let anyone in, regardless of how badly I wanted to, or how alone I felt.

But I didn't have time to worry about that now. Currently, I had to deal with a thief who stole money worth 100 grand—on a moving train.

"_You'll never get my money!" _a deep voice rumbled, seemingly shaking the train roof I stood on.

"I don't think it's _your _money. You stole it," I grappled against the opponent. He went in for a punch, but I easily ducked it and kicked him in the groin.

"Ah!" He stumbled back, almost falling off into the railroad tracks—but I caught him out of mercy.

"We all know that this train will eventually hit the railway bridge," I held the man down, making him look at the ground below. He shook with rage, trying to fight. "If you don't hand that cash over right now—the cash _you _stole, I will personally tie you to this train and watch you collide into the bridge."

"You're no match for me, lowlife!" he sneered.

"Actually, that's not my name. The name's Frost—Jack Frost."

The train let out an obnoxious _choochoo, choochoo! _I held the man further down and said: "Time's ticking. You have a change of heart yet?"

"Never," he wheezed.

"Shame," I picked up his money trunk with my free hand, and realized the bridge was just upon us. "Well, have a nice life!"

In that moment, I immediately jumped from the train, down onto the grassy ground. I landed safely on my feet as I watched the train crash into the bridge, too short for its height—a fire erupting right on its roof.

_Whew, that was close._

I find myself transported back to the agency when a black SUV picks me up, driven by one of my partners, Sandy. There's a little bit of black charcoal on my shirt from my previous fight, and my silvery hair was disheveled and tussled. Not to mention, my shoes were untied.

I stumble into the huge, technically advanced conference room when I hear I was supposed to make it to a meeting.

"You're late," my boss, Bunny tells me. You would think that for such a powerful agency, my boss' name would be different and more intimidating. Well, we basically used codenames here to be secretive, so—he chose Bunny. I never knew why.

"Sorry, but at least I got the money," I saunter over to take a seat. "What's the meeting about?"

"Well, I gotta give this to you: well done, Frost. I'll return it to the bank in the morning. And we're discussing a new case, so you better pay attention."

When Bunny begins to review the information he earlier presented, this is when I find out about the murder of Nicholas North. I actually don't feel like dozing off at this point, which was a first.

"Jack," Bunny calls my name, "Your partners and I have decided that this murder case should be assigned to you to investigate and find evidence for."

"Really?" I ask. I was surprised, as I hadn't gotten a decent case assigned to myself in a long while. Although it seemed exciting and thrilling—fear pitted at the bottom of my stomach. I hadn't ever taken a case this big, that it involved a whole university. This was when I began to realize: _yeah, this is a terrible idea._

"Yes. Our plan is that you go undercover and pose as a student in the university, trying to get close to possible suspects of the murder and finding necessary evidence. This may take up to a month, or more—but we know you can handle it. Are you willing?"

I gulped. This was a huge commitment to make, but I couldn't keep everyone in the room waiting. I had to come to a decision. _This is a terrible idea, and you know it. But some extra cash would be nice._

"Yes," I breathed, tempted by my last thought. "I'm willing."

"Good," Bunny replied. "We'll fly you to Guardian U tonight, and your job officially starts tomorrow. You will go to classes like any other student, and participate in extra curricular activities. But, there's one thing we must remind you."

I looked up at him and raised my brow. "Yes?"

"Do _not _trust anyone, even if they appear to be nice. Do not let anyone in—don't let them know what you know. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head and responded. "Don't worry; you can count on me. I already knew that from the start."

* * *

I only have a few hours to pack when I get home. But I get it over with quickly, and from there, the private plane I will board leads to me a new life. I've already graduated college with a degree in Communications, which helped me get into the CIA in the first place—but it wouldn't hurt to try being a student again.

I was only focusing on business, and _will _only focus on business. At least, that's what I thought as I sat in one of the back seats for takeoff. But, little did I prepare myself for what I was to experience when I would arrive at the university.

* * *

Upon stepping into my new _home—_basically, my dorm room, I meet my roommate. He has dark colored hair and eyes, with two sets of perfectly white teeth that he gleams at me as he smiles.

"Hey, my name's Flynn," he introduces himself, swiveling out of his desk chair. "Flynn Rider. I'm your roomie—gosh, it's nice to have someone here finally."

I give him a skeptical look as he takes my class schedule from my hand and examines it. "Hey, we have Physics and English together! Awesome. But I warn you of Professor Weselton. He's really old and grumpy, and his tests are super hard."

I clear my throat and gently take the schedule back from his grasp. "You're very—uh, talkative."

"I assure you, even though it may come off as annoying, talking helps me stay popular. Oh, and so does the smolder! Who can resist _this?"_ he looks up at me with the most incredibly stupid look on his face, lips pouting. _Jesus. How did I end up with this guy?_

"That's great. If you'll excuse me—" I try to haul my luggage past him, but he stops me.

"Wait, you haven't even told me your name!"  
I sigh, and even he can tell I'm annoyed. But I tell him the undercover name that Bunny ordered me to call myself from now on. "Max. Max Snow."

He backs off and gets out of my way. "Sorry, Max. I didn't mean to—uh, upset you."

I nod understandingly and set my suitcases next to my new bed—plopping my head down onto the pillow first thing. I wanted to get a good night's rest before my job officially started tomorrow.

I'm about to doze off, my arm draped over my head—but my last conscious thought is of Bunny's words: _"Do not let anyone in—don't let them know what you know."_


	3. Mission 1: The Project

**A/N: **I just wanted to say 'thank you' for all your kind support, for those of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed. It really means a lot! Here's the next chapter:

* * *

_Elsa_

_ Ring! Riiing! RIIIIING! _goes my extremely loud alarm clock. I groan, and so does my roommate, Rapunzel.

"Elsa, I've told you twice to turn that stupid thing down," she held a pillow over her ears.

"But then I won't wake up," I slowly sat up and turned the clock off. "I have to get to class."

"Ugh, Physics, Physics. You do fine enough in there anyway. Professor Weselton practically _loves _you."

"Ew, no. Look, you need to get up too. We have Physics together."

"No."

"Come on," I rubbed my tired eyes. "It'll give you an excuse to see Flynn."

"I won't be able to _talk _to my own boyfriend during class. You know, if I don't want that _weasel _to give me an F in the course, that is."

"It's not that bad. But you can make your own decision regarding if you want to skip class or not, because _I _am getting up."

I headed to the girls' showers in my dorm. A nice, hot shower always relaxed me before starting the day off—but it didn't make me feel any more drowsy than I was. _Ugh, I want coffee. I _need _coffee, _I thought as I changed into a simple t-shirt and denim jeans.

After braiding my hair, I strode into the cafeteria, which looked like a ghost town this early in the morning. I poured myself some sizzling black coffee, and then finally made way to the Science building.

_It's the same thing everyday, _I thought, walking through the large campus. _First, I wake up. Then I shower and drink coffee, and go to class. And then I repeat._

I wanted something more in life. Yes, something _exciting—_I wanted a life like my sister's.

Coincidentally enough, I spotted Anna surrounded by a group of other girls near the water fountain. They laughed and talked and discussed the _latest gossip_—Anna and I locked eyes.

But we didn't wave.

Anna never acknowledged me unless she wanted something. She knew she was too cool for her own sister: me, the major outcast, who was lucky to have even Rapunzel as my roommate.

Anna was only a sophomore, and I was a senior. Not a day had gone by where I was recognized like her, because I shut everyone out ever since I was very little—and I tended to not let anyone back in. It wasn't easy for me to make friends, because I had none.

Rapunzel was nice to me, but was only my acquaintance. She was practically Anna's best friend—Anna's idea of the perfect sister. The sister she wanted so much more.

I wandered through the halls of the Science building, on my way to Professor Weselton's classroom. I felt like a docile lamb surrounded in a crowd of ravenous wolves—people in the hall were throwing things, spitting—and even skating. My fingers grasped tightly around my coffee, and I looked around to view my surroundings. But before I knew it—

_ "Oof!" _I crashed into a male student. The coffee I held split all over his nice shirt, and my large eyes widened.

"Oh, god. I am _so _sorry."

He grunted, and began to wipe his shirt with his hand. "That was a $40 shirt, you know."

He sounded awfully snappy, but I still felt bad. "Well, let me help—" I reached my hand out to touch him, but he flinched back.

His cold, pale eyes bore into mine, reminding me of my own. "I would appreciate some personal space."

Although I was astounded by his rudeness, I remained calm. "I'm really sorry. I can clean the shirt."

"You know what, forget it," he grumbled, and spun around—walking the other way.

I was left behind feeling confused, but eventually shook my head and forgot about it.

When I arrived in Professor Weselton's room, I spotted Rapunzel and her boyfriend, Flynn sitting together in the back. I was surprised to see her here already—but knew I shouldn't associate with her. She didn't like it when people like _me _interfered with her and Flynn's time together.

"Ms. Anderson!" Professor Weselton chirped, "You're awfully early today." Well, at least the weasel liked me.

"Yes, Professor," I fake smiled, though I was anything but happy. I haven't once been bubbly since months ago, when my aunt made me a cake for my birthday.

She was the only one who remembered it.

I try to hide the tear that rolls down my cheek, as I walk up the steps to take my seat. _Don't think about the past, Elsa. Conceal, don't feel._

Eventually, more people file into the room. I sink down lower in my seat, feeling like crap—not wanting to be seen. And I wasn't.

The weasel finally got up from his desk and stepped onto the podium, adjusting the microphone so that it faced all the way down—being as short as he was. "Hush, everyone! Be quiet! We have very important matters to discuss today—that including a further study of Newton's Laws!"

The whole room groaned, reminding me just of a _high school _class.

"However, I will be kind and firstly, introduce a new student who has come to us. Everybody, please welcome Max Snow to Guardian U!"

The boy who I accidentally spilt my coffee on stood up from his seat—he wore a different shirt now, probably from changing, but it was still the same boy with silver hair and pale blue eyes. The whole room was clapping, and some girls who sat near Rapunzel sighed at his charm. I sniggered at their stupidity, knowing this dude was a total jerk.

"Alright, that's enough. You may be seated, Max. Moving on!" the weasel flipped through his teaching planner, "Oh, wait. I lied. None of Newton's Laws for today."

A few hushed _yes!_'s could be heard, but mostly everyone kept silent. We all knew Professor Weselton was a grumpy old man. "What we will be discussing today is a _group project! _Get in the spirit! Be pumped! Jump into the excitement!" he started doing this weird chicken dance around the podium, and the room was instantly filled in uproarious laughter.

"Stop that!" he screeched, and began to pound his little fists against the podium top. "The next person who laughs will fail this year's final exam!"

_That _shut everyone up.

"Good," he started. "Now, I will be assigning groups before I go over the project. Pass these out, Max, will you?" he handed a stack of papers to the new boy. When Max came upon Rapunzel's row to pass the papers out, the girls stared dreamily at him again. _How does he have that effect on people so quickly? _

When I received one of the papers, I noticed it listed the partners assigned together for the project. I quickly searched for my name—_Anderson, Anderson—_I hoped I wouldn't be paired with one of the _cool kids. _

To my surprise, I was paired with someone even worse.

_Max Snow._

* * *

I found myself at Max's door that following night.

Hesitantly, he opened it after my knock. "Okay," he began, "Come on in. Flynn's asleep, but we can still work on the project."

"Look, I don't want to be here," I said coolly. "So let's just get this project over with."  
"We can't just get it _over with_," he let me step into the messy room that reeked of spoilt pizza. Ugh, poor Rapunzel to have such an unhygienic boyfriend. "Working on this project will last us a month, at the least."

"Then let's get to it."

"Look, um—Ellie."

"_Elsa."_

"I'm sorry. Elsa. Um, well—I'm also sorry about that whole coffee incident."  
I raised a brow, definitely not expecting _two _apologies from him. "I acted like a jerk," he continued, "And I just want you to know, I'm not that kind of person. Usually, I can be grumpy and uptight, but I was just stressed and—"

"It's okay," I cut him off. "I ruined your shirt in the first place."

"It's just a shirt," he shrugged, sinking into his desk chair.

"An _Oxford _shirt," I chuckled.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't a complete douche. But still—I didn't really like him. Maybe that was my fault, as I'm really picky when it comes to making friends.

_Which is why I've lost all of them. After the accident..._

I cleared my throat, shutting that forbidden thought off from my brain. "So, where should we start?"

* * *

_Jack_

I've heard a lot of people whispering about Elsa and I being paired together. That _"a cute boy like him should be working with Rapunzel Corona or Elsa's sister; a girl more deserving." _But honestly, I cared nothing about the stupid project, or these other girls. I wanted to focus on my job.

But, I_ would_ be blind to not notice that Elsa was indeed a hot little minx—in the nerdy way, which I actually preferred. Of course, she didn't know it, which made her even cuter—but I'm sure the girls that made her an outcast knew it. Maybe they were jealous.

When I thought of this, I could just imagine Bunny screaming at me to not start thinking about girls. I inwardly laughed—he cracked me up sometimes. I knew I wouldn't be wrapped around Elsa's finger—or any girl's, for that matter, but still. _Those legs—what a shame she hides them beneath those jeans. _I couldn't help myself.

"Oh, right," I cleared my throat, snapping back to reality. "Um, where do you think we should start?"  
She sat down beside me. "Well, Professor Weselton said the project is based off of inertia. Why don't we first review its meaning, and get familiar with why it causes objects to resist changes in motion?"

I never took Physics in college, or even high school for that matter—so I was utterly lost. "Okay," I said dryly, not really catching on.

Elsa began to pull some notebook paper and a pencil out, and I realized I should call Bunny. He would want to check in on me and see how my first day was.

"Hey, do you mind if I go to the bathroom?" I come up with a fib.

"Just be right back," she looked down.

I headed out of the room, and when she thought I was going to the dorm's main bathrooms, I stepped outside. The fresh air hit my nostrils, and the nightly moon blazed from above. I secretively pulled out my phone from my pocket, and called my boss.

After a few rings, he picked up. "Thanks for calling, Jack. How is everything?"

"Good, I guess. I've been assigned to a project, but not much else has been happening."

"Considering you're already settled in, I have something important to tell you. We've all planned out your next move for tomorrow."

"My next move?"

"We recently found out: Nicholas North was very close to his nephew, Pitch Black. Have you heard of him?"

"No."

"He's the president of the most popular fraternity at Guardian U, besides being North's nephew. Anyhow, he's one of our suspects. Considering their close relationship, we assumed he would have easy access to his office, especially at wee hours. If he were to be the murderer, it could've been from a possible strife or betrayal—and we need you to get close to Pitch in order to find out possible evidence—which will point to if he's guilty or not."

This was a lot to take in, but I caught on now. "Okay, Bunny. I'll try."  
"Don't _try, _Jack. _Do _it."

"Right. Can you send me more information in the morning?"  
"Of course. Good luck, Frost."

And with that, he hung up. I was left feeling pretty nervous, but at the same time—thrilled.

That was, until, three burly guys jumped from the bushes and shoved me into an empty potato sack. "Woah—_hey!"_ I yelled, trying to kick. "Who are you? _Let go!"_

The next thing I knew was being shut away into the dark sack as the three oafs tied it closed, and carried me into the wilderness. _Come on, Jack. Use your spy instincts. What should you do?_

I couldn't think properly. There was practically no air in the—cocoon—I was trapped in, and I wanted to scream.

My last thought, before passing out was: _Am I going to be killed?_


	4. Mission 1: Nightmare Fraternity

_Elsa_

Where in the world is Max? _I'm not going to wait here all night._

It's been_ thirty_ minutes since he's been gone, so I sigh and decide to head back to my dorm. I guess we could just finish the project later.

I gather my book bag and walk outside, embracing the night sky through my senses. I sigh as the crickets chirp, remembering when Anna told me: "_The sky's awake, so I'm awake" _when we were little. When she acknowledged me—when she loved me.

_Conceal, _I remind myself, but then suddenly hear the hooting of one of the fraternity houses nearby. It was coming from Pitch Black's fraternity, which everyone called: "the Nightmare House". I could tell they were hosting another initiation for incoming pledgers, when I thought they already had enough members.

How obnoxious they were—it was night, and everyone else was trying to sleep. God, I hate fraternities...

_Don't feel, _I continue with my reminder. I felt like _'conceal, don't feel' _were my special words—they made me feel more peaceful whenever I told them to myself.

I smiled and looked up at the sky again. It was so beautiful—the twinkling stars were clearer than ever tonight, and I could make out constellations.

"Yes, Anna," I whisper to myself, tears flooding my sight. "The sky's awake."

* * *

_Jack_

I wake up with a beating head. Shapes flash before my eyes, and my vision is blurred. I groan, but do notice I'm definitely not in my dorm.

"He's up," I hear a male voice state.

"Who are you?" I mutter, rubbing my eyes.

"We're members of the Nightmare Fraternity," the same boy replied.

This took a while to process. "Wh—why am I here?" I begin.

"Well," another boy who surrounds me jumps in, "We're looking for new pledges for our fraternity. There's been a lot of good talk about you around campus, and you seem like a pretty cool guy. Only _we _take the best."

"And _why _did you kidnap me, rather than just—I don't know—simply asking me?" I snap.

"Whew, this one's fiery," the second boy addresses everyone in the room, cackling evilly. I glare at him, but out of the corner of my eye, see a tall shadow loom over him as he laughs. I squint my eyes, trying to make out who it was.

"Eh _em,"_ a voice is cleared. Everyone in the room goes silent, and out steps a clean-cut, reserved-looking guy who overshadowed the others with his height. He was dressed in a grey suit, with black hair combed back. I assumed this was the leader of the fraternity—and I was right.

"Hey, Pitch," they all say nervously.

"You heard Mr. Snow," he scolds them in a formal manner. "Why did you kidnap him—without my consent?"

"Well," the first boy squeaked, "Isn't throwing them in a sack the traditional way we get pledges? The way that us Nightmares do it?"

"What?" I murmur.

Pitch sighed, and then decided to explain himself to me. "My sincerest apologies go to you, Mr. Snow. My members are not—the brightest, when away from I, their leader. Their theory is that if they kidnap new pledges, the ones who stay around and are not scared off are the bravest and best to join our fraternity."

I would've been scared off myself by now, but I remembered Bunny's words. This would be my _perfect _chance of befriending Pitch for the case.

"It's okay," I lie. "I'm actually interested in joining now."

"Well, excellent," he smiled, his sharp teeth sparkling under the light. "Follow me, and I will lead you to the other pledges."

Just by looking at him, my gut told me something was really _off _about this guy. No doubt could he be the true criminal. I could see cruelty sparkle in his malicious gold eyes, and I picked up sadistic vibes from being only a few inches away.

_I think he's guilty, _I thought. _I better not screw this up._

At first, I'm nervous about following Pitch. No one here had my back, if he were to try something—but Bunny made sure I was trained in martial arts and boxing, before even considering to let me have this case. And as far as I was concerned, all he knew was that I was Max Snow: the new boy.

Pitch leads me down a dark corridor, and I stare in awe at all the paintings and decorations mounted on the wall—but still focus my attention on him, keeping a sharp wit. This fraternity had a lot of history—that was for sure, and it was probably an honor that they wanted _me _to join them.

We arrived in the house's main room. _Well, at least I'm alright. _I saw about thirty other boys like me standing around—chatting, yelling, hooting—and I knew it was going to be _competitive _to win a spot here.

Pitch patted me on the back and signaled me to join the crowd. When I did so, he strode to the center of the room, head held high—and began his speech.

"Welcome to the Nightmare Fraternity, gentlemen. You're either here because you have extreme confidence and believe you can get in through pledging—and maybe you _do _have what it takes—or you're here because you were carried to this house in a potato sack. Strange, I know, but you should feel honored if that happened to you—because it means we specifically handpicked _you _to consider joining our fraternity."

The whole room burst into a roaring applause—especially the few other guys who had been carried in the sacks—but Pitch signaled them to be quiet. "That's not all. You do have a better chance of getting in, if you were—well, _kidnapped _by us—but you still have to go through _Hell Week _just like the rest of these gentlemen."

I gulped, as Pitch had emphasized the phrase quite strongly. _Hell Week?_ That did not sound fun—but I had to follow Bunny's orders, even if that meant waiting on the Nightmare members hand and foot to get on Pitch's friendly side.

"Gentlemen, brace yourselves," Pitch announced, "because Hell Week officially starts—_now! _Meet your pledge-master, who is also my vice-president of the fraternity: Hans Westergard."

The whole room gasped as a regal-looking and brooding member stepped out from Pitch's right side. He had that cruel vibe to him, with twinkling green eyes that reminded me of the Cheshire Cat's—but this vibe was the same one I picked up from Pitch. _Something's not right here at all. I need to find out what goes on in this house. _

"First thing's first," Hans held out a large bucket, "cellphones go in here until next week. We are brothers within this fraternity, and you will be sworn to secrecy about the events that occur during Hell Week. Understood?"

"Understood," everyone mumbled. I was hesitant, because how else was I to contact Bunny if something happened? _Is this part of a plan they've schemed?_

I still went through with it, and stepped in line to place my phone in the bucket, fright gripping at my chest. _Get ahold of yourself, Jack._

In line, I saw a familiar face, with the same dark eyes and hair—that guy with the smolder. My roommate.

"Flynn?" I whisper, "What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep."

"I should be asking you the same question," his eyes were wide once noticing my presence. "But I was only taking a nap. I'm here now."

"Well, I'm here to pledge. Obviously."

"Same. When we both make it through Hell Week, maybe we can room together _here."_

"_If _we do," I corrected him.

He chuckled slightly, and I realized that if we were going to go through Hell Week together—we might bond closely. Maybe Flynn wasn't as annoying as I first thought.

"Alright, listen up!" Hans exclaimed, after handing the bucket to a different member. "We're going to run _many _laps on the football field—and don't even _think _this will be an easy night for you. There's a lot more difficulties to come."

Flynn and I followed the crowd and made way to the field in the black night, our feet crunching against the grass.

Hans made way to the center of the field, and loudly blew a whistle. "25 laps," he ordered. _"Go!"_

This was pointless. I would've never done this when I was in college for real.

_But you're not Jack Frost, _I thought, as we took off thundering through the grass._ You're Max Snow now—and will stay that way for a long while._

* * *

_Elsa_

The next evening, Max comes to my dorm this time for our next project session. Rapunzel is out with Flynn, on a double date with Anna and her boyfriend Hans.

I never trusted Hans Westergard. He was the typical fraternity boy who cared nothing about love—he only wanted popularity and power. But of course, Anna would never listen to me about him. She was a sophomore dating a Nightmare senior, and she clearly had nothing to complain about.

I sigh as I hear a rap on the door. "Come in."

Max opens the door quietly. I notice dark circles under his hollow eyes, and his complexion was paler than usual. "Late night's sleep?" I ask.

"You've got it," he responds, tiredly rubbing his face.

"Well, you've gotta hang in there with me. This project is important."

"Right," he sits down.

"Is it—important to you, at all?" I begin.

He looks at me, his blue orbs boring into mine again. "Yes. Am I allowed to be tired?"

"Woah, okay, Mr. Snappy," I frown.

"No, Elsa," he starts, "I'm sorry. God, it's just, Hell Week started, and we hadn't gotten any sleep—"

"Hell Week? _We?"_  
"Yeah, the pledges and I. We're trying to get into the Nightmare fraternity."

"Oh," I mumble. Honestly, I was really disappointed. After Max apologized for the coffee incident, and I had really thought about it, I thought he was a decent person. That he was different than all the other guys here. I personally hated fraternities, and I never knew exactly why. Maybe it was their obnoxiousness or hazing—they usually victimized people like me.

"What?" he asks. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I say quietly.

"Something's wrong. You have that look on your face."

"I don't have _any _look."

"Elsa, tell me."

I take a deep breath, collecting my thoughts. The best thing I could mutter out was: "I just thought you were different."

Concerned, he reaches his hand out to touch my shoulder. I turn my head away—he decides to pull it back. "Different from who?" his voice grows soft.

My heart rate increases, and I don't know why. "Everyone."

He swallows, and nervously drums his fingers against his knee. "Why?"

"I—no reason. I'm sorry. I just..."

"Have a thing against fraternities?" he finished my sentence for me, trying to be funny, though I was in one of my depressed moods again.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You know, the brothers really grew on me. I think, if I make it through the week, that I'll have a fun time there." He tried to sound convincing, though I was anything but convinced.

"Cool," I begin to flip through the project notes we wrote last time.

"Elsa."

I don't respond.

"Elsa, please, just—look at me for a second?"

I slowly turn my head back to him. "Yes?"

"I'm not going to demand to know everything about you, because I already have a good idea of who you are."

I raised a brow. "You haven't known me that long."

"I know. But I can tell things, Elsa."

"Really? So are you some sort of secret agent?" I joke.

He stiffens up at that, but laughs with me. "Uh, no—no. Of course not. But Elsa—coming from me, you're a beautiful girl. It wouldn't hurt to put yourself out there and just—"

Oh no. He was trying to give me a pep talk to _expand my boundaries _and become more popular. I've already received these from my aunt countless times.

"No," I refused to listen anymore. "You don't understand."

"Yes, I do."

"Max—"

"I'm sure I do! I've been hurt before and—"

"You _don't! _You don't understand _anything!" _I was in such a state that I ripped the notes in half while yelling at Max. Oops.

The room turned silent for a few seconds, but I eventually broke the quietness. "God, I'm such a spaz. Do you see why I'm an outcast?"

"Elsa, what you are is _beautiful _and _smart. _If you don't think I understand what you've been through—I'd like to. You should talk to me about it."

Tears begin to ooze from my eyes. "No. I—I can't. I can't talk about it. I can't _live_ like this..."

Max leant forward, closer to me. "Elsa."

I start sobbing. "It's _so_ hard. So hard. Anna just forgot about the accident and began to grow on people even more after it, but I shut everyone out and now—"

Max pulled me in for a hug, which was the least thing I expected him to do. His muscular torso brushed against my slender neck as my head rested on his shoulder. I wanted to break away and yell at him again, but I had no strength. It was like a power switch was shut off inside me, whenever I talked about my past.

My tears flowed from my cheek onto his sweater sleeves, and I felt myself melting into his warm chest. "Let it out," he tells me gently. "Let it all out."

"The accident—that damned car accident killed my parents. My aunt was kind to Anna and I when we went to live with her, but—I started to shut people out, and my aunt became my only friend. The one who remembered my birthdays, helped me with my homework—made my bed for me. Now we're at college, and Anna ignores me now, and god, does it _hurt."_

His large hand caressed my soft hair, and I pulled my face up to look at him. His eyes, once icy and cold—without emotion—finally showed me warmness and sympathy.

And then, our noses touched.

"I see you," he breathed, his hand cupped against my cold cheek. "I _see _you. And I _feel _you. I do care, and I _do_ understand. I grew up without a dad, and my mom died recently."

"You—you see me," I repeated. "You feel me. You_ know_ how it feels."

"Yes." Our noses nuzzled together, and I felt a warmth so immense burst inside my heart—I couldn't comprehend it. The connection I felt between him was stronger than ever, and his lips looked so moist—I closed my eyes. His breath was right on my nostrils. _"Elsa..."_

He was about to kiss me. He was really going to do it. And I guess I wasn't too comfortable with that—which probably explains why I freaked out and pulled away.

"I—sorry, Max. I think you should go."

"Go? But—"

"We'll work on the project later," I interrupted him coldly. I couldn't kiss him. I couldn't do it—I couldn't _love _again. I would only be hurt once more.

"Elsa, please."

"_Leave."_

He looked so upset, but at that point, didn't question me further. He grabbed his book bag, his shoes padding against the plush rug near my bed as he walks to the door. I close my eyes, not daring to look at him—but I feel him looking at _me. _I was chilled to the bone—it was like he was staring into my very soul, judging me for my actions.

And then he left—leaving me with a dreading feeling that burrowed deep into my heavy heart.

_Way to go, Elsa. You shut someone out again._

* * *

_Jack_

I was just as confused as Elsa when I left her dorm that night. There was something about her—something that made me instantly bond to her. Perhaps it was because of our similar pasts, or just—because she was herself. Because she was Elsa Anderson.

_I'm driving myself insane. God forbid, if Bunny finds out about any of this..._

I decided to just call it a night and head back to my dorm. I had to report to the Nightmare House bright and early the next morning for another round of Hell Week—at 4am, so I'd need all the sleep I could get.

Flynn was already passed out as I came in quietly. The light was off, but as I walked to my bed—I heard the _crunch _of paper sound beneath my feet.

It was a note.

I picked up the note I accidentally stepped on, and examined its texture—it was rough and prickly. As I turned my phone's flashlight on to read it, I noticed the note had a background of a sun on it.

My eyes scanned over the slip of paper. I didn't see any sort of signature on it—who was this from? The note read:

"_I know who you are... Jack Frost."_

* * *

**A/N: **Heads up, the main story action where he actually starts fighting people takes place in the next chapter. Ah, I can't wait! I just wanted to develop my plot well before I got onto that, but it's coming. To my fans, thanks for your endless support, and again: all reviews are appreciated.


	5. Mission 1: Loose Ends

_Jack_

My eyes widen upon seeing this note, and my trembling hand almost drops the note within my grasp.

Someone knows me. Someone knows who I _am. _

This was not good.

I stealthily tuck the note into my pocket and come outside the dorm once again, heading to the back of the building where it was more secluded. I had to call Bunny.

I punched in his number, and just as always, he answers. I blow a sigh of relief.

"Is there an urgency, Frost?" his impatient voice rumbles through the line.

"Yes," I huff.

"What happened?"

"Someone left a note in my dorm, and all I noticed was that the paper was rough and had a background of a sun on it. It read: _"I know who you are... Jack Frost." _I whispered as quietly as I could.

Bunny was silent for a few seconds. I could tell he was angry, considering he was always quiet when upset.

"And—what was the handwriting like?" he demanded shortly. _Yep, he sounds pissed._

I hadn't really examined that, so I took the slip out and looked closer at it. "It's not exactly girly. But it's very neat and kempt."

What if Pitch sent this to intimidate me? His handwriting suited his personality exactly—it matched his formalness, yet it wasn't feminine. _I hope I did the right thing by pledging for the Nightmares. _

"I'll have Sandy come and pick it up tonight. We'll send it in to the FBI for DNA and fingerprint testing. You better be watching your back out there, Frost."

"Okay, I'll wait for him. And you got it."

"Remember—do not trust _anyone."_

I gulped, thinking of Elsa—but I'm sure I was fine. Clearly, she wanted nothing to do with me now. "I know."

"Good." With that, the call was ended, and I was left feeling confused and alone.

Suddenly, a rustle sounded in the bushes, and I spun around—my instincts sharp. _Was someone—listening?_

I kept my eyes directly on the bushes—but as I began to step closer, a bunny popped out and scurried behind the building. I shook my head and chuckled to myself, directing my thoughts back to the girl I liked.

I couldn't wrap my finger around my feelings for Elsa. _How did I become attached to her so quickly? _

Elsa reminded me so much of my younger self, and I guess I found comfort in that. I always had to be Agent Frost—not just Jack—or Max Snow. But I still knew I wasn't supposed to trust her, and I had wrong intentions of trying to kiss her. I didn't know her _full_ backstory yet—_what if she isn't who she claimed to be either?_

I knew that thought was ridiculous, but I had to keep my strong wit in order to stay safe, and to keep the case hidden.

I realized that whenever her face popped in my head—that abnormally beautiful face—I tended to overthink everything. This girl drove me crazy, but she was so alone. I couldn't just leave her. Sure, maybe we couldn't _be _together—and we probably would never be—but I wanted to comfort her and be an understanding friend.

But, I couldn't be honest with her about myself—who I am. That was the only thing.

* * *

_Elsa_

I know I shouldn't be thinking about him. But his face still flashed across my mind countless times, and I felt I was at the verge of insanity.

We held off on the project for a while, because we were already at a head start from the other partners. But when I saw him in class, he acknowledged me. Gave me a simple nod. I didn't do anything back, but felt bad. _How could he—like me? Doesn't he know how hard it will be for me to stop shutting him out?_

One night, I'm in my room studying for Math, while everyone else is out—and I hear a rap at the door. Considering Rapunzel usually barged in, and was probably gone—I knew it was him.

"Come in."

The door opens. "We need to work on the—"

"I know. Here, take a seat."

He frowns at my interruption, but does as told. I take out our notes that I glued together, from ripping it earlier, and he clears his throat.

"Yes?"

"While we do this, I also figured I could, um—talk to you."

"You _are_ talking to me."

"No, Elsa; I realized it was stupid of me for trying to kiss you."

"It never happened. Let's leave it at that."

The amount of hurt filled in his eyes was unbearable for me to look at, so I turn my head away once again. "All I was going to say was," he continued, speaking as if every word hurt him, "I'd like to be your friend."

I nervously fiddle with my hands. "I don't have friends."

"Now you do," I notice he forces himself to smile, but the hurt in his eyes is still present. _His teeth look so perfectly white..._

I snap out of my unrealistic thoughts and shake my head. "No, Max. We're only partners in a project. That's it."

"Elsa—"

"Max, if you're here for a reason other than to work on the project—you may leave," I scold him more harshly than I intended.

"I'm trying to comfort you, Elsa, and this is what I get? Why can't I be your friend?"

He was only fueling the fire, and I was becoming very frustrated. "You pretend you know me, but you don't!"

"I know you better than everyone else does. _You _cried on my shoulder and—"

_ "Enough!"_ I yell as my fists clench. He shuts up, and guilt immediately floods over me. _God, I'm so cruel._

After an awkward silence, I turn to face him, and ask him one simple question: "What do you want with me, Max?"

I had the urge to break down in tears, but I bit my lip—refusing to sob in his company. I didn't want to cry on his shoulder again. I couldn't. _Hold it in. Conceal. Don't feel._

"I don't want anything from you," he whispers shakily. "I just wanted to be your _friend,_ but I guess that will never happen."

He made way to the door, and as my back is turned to him, a single tear streams down my face. I didn't want to keep shutting him out over and over again, but sometimes I couldn't help it.

And then, once again—he's gone.

* * *

_Unknown_

The windows are open, yet the room is dark, as it is night. The only light to be seen is a candle flame flickering in the corner—but I preferred it this way.

"Any updates to report?" I stroke the arm of the chair I lounged on, my voice short and impatient.

"Yes, Boss," my nark informed me. "It's about—"

"Jack Frost. I know. Tell me what you found."

"He—he saw the note."

"That was my intention. I wanted to make it clear that his little _case_ should be put to an end, or else. It was only to scare him."

"He told his boss over the phone. I was in the bushes—"

"Did he see you?"

"Almost. But a rabbit near me hopped out, so he didn't."

"Good. I'll reward you later. What did his boss say?"

"Something about—fingerprints. I only heard him faintly from the other line."

I knew what this meant. But I had never been checked for DNA or fingerprint samples in my life, so I could never be caught from sending the note.

And, for that matter, I could _never_ be caught from murdering Nicholas North.

"Thank you. You may leave."

Without a thought, my nark nodded and stumbled away. I chuckled at Jack and his team's stupidity, thinking: _You may think you have me, Frost—but I have _you.

* * *

_Jack_

By the time Hell Week ended, everyone's eyes turned bloodshot red from the lack of sleep, and we passed out on the beds upon our heads hitting the pillows, when we returned to our dorms. After all those painful hours of laps, manual labor, and waiting on the frat members—it was nice to finally have a break.

After we caught up on our sleep, Flynn and I were to attend the initiation ceremony at the Nightmare House. They were going to initiate us, and the people who had made it through Hell Week as well—which would be about fifteen people out of thirty.

"Are you nervous?" Flynn asks, while putting on a formal button-up shirt.

"No," I respond. The only thing I was nervous about was seeing Pitch—the possible sender of the note. But of course, I couldn't tell Flynn that.

"You're a liar."

"I swear. Maybe _you're _the nervous one."

Before he can open his mouth, my Bluetooth chip vibrates within my ear. It had been sent to me a few days ago, before the Nightmares had given me my phone back. Of course, it was invisible, buried deep in my ear canal—but this signaled that Bunny had something urgent to tell me.

"Flynn, I have to use the bathroom. Wait for me, would you?"

"Sure."

I decided that I should hide in a different location, rather than the back of the dorm building—just to be safe. After all, it was broad daylight outside, and I usually contacted Bunny at night. So, I made way to the empty cafeteria on campus, and locked myself in the family restroom.

"Bunny," I whisper.

"Frost, we've got an emergency on our hands," he speaks through the device.

"What is it?"

"The FBI didn't find any trace of fingerprints or DNA samples that matched what was on that note. Nothing. The situation is close to impossible."

My eyes widen. "Are you—are you _sure?"_

"I'm positive. I thought the person who wrote the note was stupid enough to send it, if their only motive was to scare you off and make you drop the case—but they may be smarter than we think. They must have a clean reputation in order for this to happen."

"Is it—do you think it's Pitch?"

"It sounds like it; it sounds like the note sender was also the murderer of North, which would signify why they'd want the case to end. But we can't assume things. However, you must tear that Nightmare House down if you have to, Frost, because this case isn't looking pretty right now."

"Your wish is my command," I reply.

My Bluetooth clicks when Bunny's line goes dead, and I look in the mirror above the sink that I stand in front of. Staring back at me is a ghoulish-looking pair of blue eyes, pale skin—tussled silver hair.

I inhale sharply and look at the tired boy in the mirror, repeating aloud: _"I can do this. I am capable."_

* * *

The pledges and I file into the dim Nightmare House, lit aglow by fluorescent lamps of different colors. Pitch, Hans, and the other members stare ahead at us from one side of the room, dressed in dark blue robes. Flynn chuckles at the sight of it, and I elbow him in the gut.

They went over the rituals. We were sworn to secrecy. And then, they gave each of us candles. Pitch began to light each candle upon initiating the boys in the line, and as he drew closer to us, I couldn't help but feel fearful.

I had to keep telling myself I wasn't afraid, but it didn't help. Upon seeing Pitch Black's bright gold eyes gleam in the dark, I nearly jumped. I didn't let him see my fright, but when his eyes met mine—I felt a nauseating feeling creep up my throat. Words could not describe how malicious and evil he looked at this moment in time. His brows arched downward, and he smiled, revealing his full set of sharp teeth. It was as if he was a predator, ready to eat its prey alive.

_He won't intimidate me, _I thought as I stood up straight.

"Max Snow," his chilling voice seeps through my ears, speaking my undercover name as if he _knew _it was fake, "You are now initiated into the brotherhood of the Nightmare Fraternity. Your excellence has shown us that you will become a worthy member."

And just like that, he lights my candle, moving onto Flynn and saying the exact same thing. No one else seemed to pick up bad vibes from Pitch, but me—they all glanced at him as if he looked normal.

But that didn't matter; I was to live here now. Even though I had Flynn with me, I questioned Pitch's motives. And if this fraternity had a deep, dark secret hidden within its roots—I would find out, even if I had to rip this house apart _brick _by _brick._

* * *

_Elsa_

This was all my fault. I was a terrible friend, and I felt too bad for my actions earlier. I had to make it up to Max.

The following night of the Nightmare's initiation ceremony, I head to the house after they've wrapped everything up. Before, I was so confused about my emotions and how I felt about Max—but now, I knew for sure—I liked him.

It wasn't my fault my parents died, and it certainly wasn't my fault Anna ignored me. I shut people out because I thought I deserved it, for everything that happened—but I soon realized, none of this was caused by me. I shouldn't have punished myself when there was nothing to be punished for.

I don't want to knock on the door to be ambushed by all the other boys in the house, so I took my cellphone out and texted Rapunzel: _'Do you have Max Snow's number?'_

Within a few seconds, she responded: _'Nope. Ask Anna.'_

I sigh, knowing that wasn't a good option. But, unexpectedly so, Max appears from the back door and notices me standing on the front lawn. _Awkward. _

"Elsa?" he comes closer. "What are you doing here?"

As lame as it sounded, I had prepared a speech to tell him—to apologize for shutting him out. But every word was instantly wiped away from my mind by just looking into those blue orbs—and I fell silent.

"I—um," I started, my cheeks blushing a slight pink. I was thankful that he couldn't see it under the night sky.

"Did you come to see me?"

"Yes, Max," I respond. I began to pour out what I _really _wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart: "I—I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have shut you out."

He smiles kindly, and reaches his hand out to take mine. "Do you wanna take a walk? We probably shouldn't talk where the guys could watch us."

At the thought of that, I shudder. "I'd love to."

We begin to stroll across campus, and another thought reaches my mind. "I have something for you," I unzip my book bag that was slung over my shoulder.

"Really?"

"Yeah." I take a folded Oxford shirt I recently bought out of the bag. It had faint blue stripes on it, and was made of a silky, soft cloth. "Just to make up for the coffee incident."

I hand it to him, and he stares at me in astonishment. "Elsa, you didn't have to..."

"But I did. No big deal, really," I feel a fluttering sensation deep in my stomach, and I wonder if these are the romantic butterflies I've heard so much about.

"Well, since you already bought it, I'm going to pay you back," he chuckles.

"No. Seriously, I don't care."

"I do, though," his large hands are placed over my waist, and he turns me around to face him. I see him looking lovingly at me—and I don't resist his touch. But, out of what I would assume nervousness, he took his hands off me and bit his lip. "Uh, sorry. So—friends, right?"

I look down. I was really shy, but wanted to make a move. Because regardless of how we met—I _liked _Max. He made me feel happy, and the instant bond I felt between him was beyond comprehension. He lit my world up—and for that, I was forever thankful. I just had to _show_ it.

So, I decided to surprise him and give him a long, meaningful kiss. I pulled in and collided my lips to his, my hands running through his silver locks. His eyes bolted fully open, but after a second, he closed them and placed his hand back on my waist—the kiss grew deeper and deeper, and his tongue teasingly brushed against my lips. I decided to let him enter my mouth. Even though we weren't doing anything but deep kissing—this still felt meaningful. Like it was meant to be.

When we pulled away from each other, Max was left panting for more. "Wow. How are you so—good?"

"Don't know what you're talking about. I've never kissed before."

"I'm glad I'm your first, then," he leans in for another round. I happily oblige—that is, until I hear an ear shattering sound of a bullet whizz by us—_almost_ piercing Max's arm in the process.

He curses under his breath, and pulls onto my arm protectively. _"Run!"_

My heart begins to pound seemingly against my ribcage. We take off through the pavement, heading to the woods that marked the end of campus property. _"Max!" _I wheeze, as my book bag flies off my shoulder, landing far away enough that I couldn't go back and retrieve it—without being shot.

"There's no time to explain!" I want to stop so badly and catch my breath, but I keep pumping my legs forward. I had to stay caught up with him. _What the hell is going on?_

I hear another gunshot echo near us, and a feeling beyond fear clenches onto my heart, seemingly wrenching at every gut in my body. But I keep going.

* * *

_Jack_

A surprise attack. God, I should've known. If it was Pitch, or one of his minions, then he was one smart son of a—

I stop at that thought and whip my head around to look for a vehicle. Was there some sort of car I could key? Elsa and I had to get out of here as quickly as possible. I knew she was probably the most confused right now than she'd ever be in her life—but again, there was no time to explain.

The only thing I spot is an unoccupied motorcycle. Not as good as I intended, but it was my only option.

"Come on!" I call to Elsa, but she stops in her tracks.

"I—I've never ridden one of these," she looks like she's about to cry.

"The sniper's close. He'll shoot again. Please," I whisper, "trust me."

I relied on those two words more than anything right now. _Trust me. _

"I—I trust you," she looks back once, but then runs forward to me. I lift her up and sit her in the front, and then as quickly as I've probably ever started a motorcycle—I kick-started the thing, hopped on behind her, and took off into the black night.

The sniper that was following us proceeds to shoot, and hits one of the steel parts of the motorcycle's back—but I thankfully found my way around the woods. I swiveled and swerved between the large oak trees, bullets hitting their wooden trunks as we zoomed by.

Elsa looked so scared, and I felt horrible that she didn't have a helmet. I did my best to protect her, as my arms encompassed her body while my hands touched the motorcycle handles. But I had to keep my focus on losing the sniper as well.

I heard another motorcycle start up, and I knew he was after us. _Great. _

My cycle was on full speed, and I felt adrenaline rush through my body as we rode. He was beginning to draw closer to us, but I noticed an immense, tall bridge was near. Soon, we would be out of the woods and far from the campus of Guardian U.

The vehicle bumped as we hit a rough increase of slope in the ground. Elsa screamed as her fragile body flew up in the air, but I held on tightly to her.

The sniper accelerated with an obnoxious _vroom, vroom! _sounding through our ears. I heard him click his gun, pulling the trigger again—but nothing came out. I smirked. He was out of bullets.

However, he was still chasing us, and things were about to get harder. The bridge was full of cars wildly driving back and forth. I didn't want to crash into them—my only option was to drive on the edge of the bridge, which was probably the most dangerous as well.

But I took the risk, not because I had to—because I am Agent Frost now. Not Max Snow.

The sniper was hot on our trail, and there wasn't much room on the side of the bridge. There was deep water below, but we all knew that from this height, if you fell—you would hit as if it were cement.

The motorcycle's friction flaked parts of the stone on the side, and cars honked loudly at the sight of this. The sniper decided to drive in between them, come out from the side and ram my vehicle into the water, but I could make out his motives even before he attempted them. I fought back, my vehicle violently pushing against his—sparks were flying between our motorcycles. He clenched his teeth, but at this point in time, had a full helmet on. I couldn't make out his face.

"Who are you, and what do you _want?" _I shout over the horrifying screech of the cycles fighting against each other.

He doesn't answer. I begin to veer around and corner him from the other side, pushing _him_ closer to the edge of the bridge. "Who do you work for? I may spare your life!"

"I'll never tell you—_Frost!"_ he sneers. Elsa gasps as his wheels begin to fail him; he was running out of power.

_ Fine. If he wants to be that way, so be it. _Without hesitation, I pushed my cycle into his once more, as hard as I could after mustering every ounce of strength and determination inside me.

He screamed and fell off the bike. Before we knew it, his fingers were dangling off the edge of the bridge.

_ "Max! We need to help him!"_ Elsa cried, shaking from fright.

"He tried to kill us!"

The sniper grunted, but I did nothing. And then, when he couldn't hold on any longer, his fingers betrayed him.

His body went plummeting down into the water. The wind was blowing through his clothes, but it didn't catch him. At the split second his body crashed into the rough waves, I knew he was gone.

"No," Elsa started, tears streaking down her face. "I don't—what—"

"Elsa," I say, once the motorcycle has stopped running, "We need to leave."

"No. The university—"

"Hey," I grab her hand. _"Trust me. _Please."

She began to sob loudly. The poor thing was scared, and I knew we had to get to the nearest motel as soon as possible.

"We have to get out of here. Just for a little while, that's all."

She looks up at me with glossy eyes and quivering lips. I hoped she trusted me, as she looked uneasy about this; but in this moment, she asked me a question I would never forget.

"Who _are _you?"


	6. Mission 1: Haven

_Jack_

My heart is pained to see her like this: confused and alone. Her crystal blue eyes, colored just like the water below, stare at me in fear.

I ignore the cars speeding by. It feels as if it were just her and I here, in our own little world.

I collect my thoughts together, and what I can say is: "What do you mean?"  
Her cheeks are flushed red, perhaps with frustration, and her cold lips tremble in the foggy atmosphere. "I asked you a question. Should I—should I repeat it?"

"No. I—I'm Max. That guy was delusional."

She breaks free from my grasp and steps off the motorcycle—looking down below, at the sniper's sinking body.

"Elsa, don't go near the edge—"

"You're lying to me."

I sigh, rubbing my forehead with pure stress. "No, I'm not."

"Really—_Frost?"_ she spins around, glaring daggers at me. "I mean, he didn't call you Max, or Max Snow. Who—who is Frost?"

_God. I'm such a fool. Elsa knows I'm lying, but if I tell her the truth—Bunny's trust for me would become pointless._

I hung my head down sadly. Was I even worthy of being an agent?

"Answer me. _Please," _she begs.

I say nothing.

She steps closer, and begins to cradle my face with her fingers. "Please."

I stare ahead intently, at the face of an angel displayed before me. This angel needed to know who I was—she deserved the truth.

By now, I was convinced that she was no fallen angel. She had no disguise. She was just as innocent as a sheep, and there was no trap she would try to lure me into.

Rain starts to drizzle from overhead, as the clouds turn grey. "Please tell me," she continues. "I may not know your real name—but I know _you, _as a person, would have the decency to be honest."

"Okay, Elsa. But—you can't freak out."

"Compared to what just happened, I doubt I will."

I give her a faint smile, as the amount of rain increases. "I—I work for the CIA."

She doubled back in surprise, but I easily caught her before she could come close to falling over the edge. _"What?"_ she spat.

"I'm not a student. I'm not Max Snow. I know I lied to you, and—I'm really sorry. But what I can assure you is that I really like you. My feelings for you are real."

She shook her head in disbelief. "You—what—are you a secret agent?"

I bite my lip and nod.

It takes a while for it to sink into her brain. She put a shaking hand up to her cheek as the rain continued to fall.

"I'm sorry for lying to you."

"I—I need time to think. I don't know how I feel about this. I mean," she starts, "I've always wanted excitement in my life—the way my sister has had it. And now _I _have it. But... now I don't know if—if _this_ is right for me."

_ "This?_ What's not right for you?"

"You."

My heart drops. "Oh."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry, Max. Or—should I even be calling you that?"

"My name is Frost—Jack Frost," I respond.

"Jack," she whispers aloud. "Hm. I like that better."

"Look, Elsa, we should probably—go somewhere a little farther. Just for a few days. And then I _promise, _I'll bring you back safely. I just can't risk leaving you there alone, and if I come back—"

"I know," she cuts me off. "But where will we go?"

"We'll find some place to stay; I have my wallet. But we need to get going."

"You better explain yourself when we get to safety. I deserve to know why an agent like you is posing as a university student."  
"I'll tell you everything. I promise," I lift her up onto the cycle again, and give her a short peck on the cheek. The drizzling became actual rain, so I took my hoodie and wrapped it around her—and off we went, down a path we hoped was safe.

* * *

_Unknown_

"_Agent down,"_ my nark informed me.

It takes me a while to respond. At first, I'm surprised—my eyes are wide, and I feel dazed.

And then, my emotions change to anger. My hands clench into fists around the arms of my chair, and I begin to seethe and fume a murderous rage I hadn't felt in a _long _time. "Our sniper's _dead?"_

"Frost pushed him over the bridge."

I curse under my breath, my words spitting out like poison. "_Damn Frost! Damn him!"_

My nark uncomfortably tenses up. Cursing wasn't going to get me anywhere, and I knew that. But sometimes, I couldn't help myself.

I relax, my fists unwrapping themselves around the chair arms—I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

"You know what this means," I calm myself.

"Yes, Boss. We put the next stage of the plan into action."

"I figured I could get rid of him once and for all, so I hired the sniper to shoot him. But Frost has proven: he's a better match for me than I thought."

"Should we try and locate his boss' headquarters?"

"No. We've been trying for too long; abort that mission. I want to get my hands on Frost myself—and only him."

"Of course, Boss," my nark nods, and I signal him to leave the room—pondering deep in thought of what we should plan next.

* * *

_Elsa_

I was still in shock of the events that had just occurred. Max—well, _Jack—_looked completely fine as we rode down a dirt pathway. Maybe I was in good hands if he had done things like this before, and knew how to escape danger.

Jack pulled down the sleeve of his shirt, and on his wrist lay a huge watch with a compass and other astounding features. I had never seen anything like it before—I figured it was one of his spy devices he hid.

He pulled up a GPS app on the watch's mini screen, looking up the nearest place to stay—while I gawked at how advanced this piece of technology was. _Olaf's Bed and Breakfast Inn _was the nearest result that popped up.

As Jack drove down that route, I asked him: "So—this isn't your motorcycle, is it?"

"Nope."

"Are you're sure this is a good idea?"

"We have no other options. But—"

"I know," I give him a faint grin, seemingly reading his mind. "I trust you."

* * *

We arrive at the inn at 10pm. The atmosphere completely changes, as we feel the warmth of a crackling fire upon stepping in the building. It was nice, considering we were sopping wet.

I shivered, even though Jack's sweatshirt is draped over me as he trudges over to the little front desk. The air smells of pine, and soft music plays in the background.

"The rain really got you all, huh?" a high, mocking voice giggles aloud, who I assumed was the innkeeper's. I nearly jump where I am, and a short, stubby little man pops up from behind the desk. "Oh, by the way, I'm Olaf. This is my inn, obviously."

Jack takes out his wallet. "Could we—"

"Don't you worry," he laughed jollily. "I know just what you two lovebirds want! How about the master room with a few lit candles, and ooh, a sparkling bubble bath? Perhaps some nice Chardonnay while you're at it?"

"Uh, woah," I blush wildly. "You've got the wrong idea—"

"Well, if you're fine with it, Elsa—it can't hurt to take the best room while it's open," Jack cuts in.

I raise a brow, but decide to just go along with it.

After Jack pays Olaf an amount covering a few nights, we retire to Room 300 ourselves. It feels weird, and really different to be—alone—with a man that I once thought of as a boy. A man who was a secret agent, for that matter.

But I couldn't go back to the university. It was too dangerous.

Jack heads to the bathroom to take a shower, but before he turns the water on, I call out to him. "You know, I have another question that's been on my mind for a short while."

"Yeah?" his voice echoes through the closed door.  
"If you're some sorta agent, _who_ do you work for?"  
"I'm afraid that's classified information."  
I chuckle at his seriousness. "Okay, fine."

"I_ want_ to be honest with you. But I'm not lying—I hope you know that."

"I know—Jack."

"Also, if you're uncomfortable with staying with me, I can get the innkeeper."

I look over to the bedroom, noticing that there was only one bed—for two people.

"Well, that would make me feel a bit more—at ease. But I can wait. Take your shower first."

The water turns on, and as I stand alone, I have time to collect my thoughts together and really think about this eventful night. _At first, I was terrified when the sniper chased us—but looking back, it brings a whole new meaning of _excitement _to my life, seemingly a thousand times better than Anna's._

Before my parents died, I was a sucker for action movies. I lived for the fights, the chases, the explosions—but I guess, after they passed—I didn't know who I was anymore.

_But now I know not to shut people out, _I think. _And it's because of Jack._

How did I feel about this agent, who came dashing into my life, sweeping me off my feet—riding off with me in the sunset on a steel motorcycle? Did I have the same feelings for him as I did for Max Snow, or were these feelings just lies? _I don't know._

But before I can come to a conclusion, the bathroom doors opens, and a heavenly scent of coconut shampoo hits my nostrils. I look over to see a shirtless Jack standing before me, a single towel draped over his bottom half.

Droplets of water trickle down his damp silvery hair, and his icy blue eyes stare through mine. I never noticed how his jaw was so square, how his biceps were so big—and Lord bless those lean, toned abs that were right in front of me. _My god._

After I can get a good stare, I recognize my awkwardness, and spin my head the other way. It felt as if my whole face was red, and butterflies gathered in my stomach.

"Uh, sorry," I mumble.

He chuckles—oh god, he's coming closer to me. "Did you change your mind about switching to a separate room?"

I gawk at his question. "Uh—I—I don't know."

His callused hand cups my chin, and brings it up so I'm looking into his eyes again. He was so sneaky and smart with his gestures and moves, but as strange as it was, I enjoyed every hug—every kiss.

He was so gentle, touching me as if he thought I would break like a porcelain doll would. Even though he was a touch, fearsome agent—he was so kind and comforting. And I loved both of these qualities.

"I mean—I don't want to cause any trouble, but..."

"I think it would be smart to stay here. You never know if the sniper's boss—or whoever sent him—has a full team right on our trail."

I gulped. He had a point.

"I promise, though, you'll be safe. With me."

I give him a meek grin. We slipped into bed, but Jack never tried anything. I knew he would wait—I was a virgin, after all, and wasn't comfortable with doing things anytime soon. The only persistent thing he did was wrap his strong arms around me as we slept, and I was soaked in a feeling of comfort—_he _was my safe haven.

* * *

When I wake up, he's still here. I would expect him to be gone; out the door at this point, because the life of a spy was always busy. But his arms were still wrapped around my body.

I turn my head to look at him. He's so—beautiful. Especially when he's asleep. The light reflects off his face in all the perfect angles, and his soft lips are slightly opened. I notice a faint scar flecked across his nose after looking closely.

I reach my hand out to touch it. _Where did he get this?_

He stirs at my touch, and his lashes flutter. "Elsa?"

"Sorry," I move my fingers away.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," he smirks. "Are you fascinated with my scar?"  
"How'd you get it?"  
"Eh, I don't remember; it's not too major," he starts to stroke my light blonde hair. "I only recall almost being scorched by a fire's flames—that could be how I got my scar."

"You say that like it's no big deal."

"My life is—dangerous. But I can handle the cases I'm assigned to—I can dodge the bullets fired at me. And I promise, as long as I'm here—no one will hurt you," he cooed.

I felt like tearing up. Finally, someone cared—someone understood me. "Thank you, Jack," I whisper, looking into his cerulean blue orbs.

He places a kiss on my forehead, and my heart melts at his touch. How did he make me adore him so quickly? _Oh, Jack—what have you done to me?_

* * *

_Jack_

Olaf comes in and serves us a hearty breakfast, and the day seems to roll on slowly. I figured people at the college would notice my absence, and be gossiping about the shooting. And Anna and Rapunzel would notice Elsa was gone too, surely?

I try to plan fun things to ease Elsa's mind. She was still shaken up from the sniper's death—she wasn't used to any of this. So, we go to the nearest park and eat out together—but soon enough, she grows tired, and is out like a light once returning to the inn.

I take this chance to shut myself in the bathroom to contact Bunny.

"Frost, you should've called sooner!" he practically yells through my phone. "From what I've heard, everyone at the university has been looking for you."

"I couldn't take my chances. It's too dangerous to go back right now."

"You're a secret agent for god's sake—_nothing_ is too dangerous."

"I know," I hiss, "but—I'm protecting someone else right now. I don't think about myself all the time, you know."

"Really? And do they know who you are?"  
I pause at that question. _I can't tell him. He can't know about Elsa; he won't let me protect her then. _So, for the first time ever—I lied to my boss.

"No."

I didn't sound suspicious; I said the word rather blandly. But still, my heart was heavy—I didn't want him to find out the truth. _No._

"Good. For all I know, they could be working for the murderer."

I bite my lip, knowing Elsa was nothing but innocent, and change the subject. "How long should we stay away from the university?"

"Three days at the most; try to return after that. And even if they try to stop you, try to kill you—you have to keep going with the case. We need to find out who killed North as soon as possible."

"You have my word."

* * *

_Unknown_

When my nark dropped a light blue backpack at my feet, covered in a pattern of snowflakes, I instantly recognized the owner.

"She dropped her book bag while Frost and her ran from our sniper," he explained.

"So lover boy set his eyes on Elsa Anderson. How—quaint," I snarl.

"The only thing of value in there is her phone."

"I will look through it. But what's more important: this budding relationship gives me easy access to stop Frost once and for all—once I get my hands on the girl, she will be mine—and Frost will give into everything I say while she is under my captivity."

"Should we follow through with the plan's second stage?"

I look down at my nark and smirk. "Of course; I'll alert our full team. After all—there is no war without a fight."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm going to note that Olaf is a human in this story, just so I haven't confused you all, since this is a modern AU. Hope you liked my attempt at fluffy!Jelsa, and I'd love to hear your opinions about this! Also, Jack is older than his age in Rise of the Guardians here, so I would imagine he'd hit puberty by now—which explains his abs and such. XD


	7. Mission 1: Revealed

**A/N: **I've decided this story will have more than 1 case. While I finish up the first one involving the murder of North, Jack and Elsa will progress on with their lives, still in danger, but facing different situations together. I'm just starting to get bored with this certain case and have more ideas in store (everything will still be published here), so I'm sorry if this chapter seems kind of rushed. Here you go!:

* * *

_Elsa_

It's been three days, and Jack decided today would be the day we would return to Guardian U. I knew people would be gossiping about us, and about the sniper's attack—so we had to be careful. I would have to proceed calling Jack by his undercover name, Max, in public.

Upon returning to the university, I was surprised to find Anna sprint up to me when I stepped off the motorcycle, and embrace me roughly, with Rapunzel trailing behind. _"Anna?"_ I nearly choke, startled by the sudden impact.

"I'm so sorry," she's crying, tears pooling in her azure eyes. "God, I'm such a horrible sister. I never realized how much I loved you until I heard you were attacked by some crazy man!"

My heart melts, and I hug her back. "Oh, Anna."

"I missed you so much, it hurt. When the shooting was announced over the PA, for a moment, I thought you were hit—and died."

Rapunzel joins in on the hug, and I sigh. I knew she was going to apologize, and though I was confused by her change in heart—I had to think about letting Anna in again, not shutting her out. Jack had shown me that learning to love someone didn't always mean you'd get hurt, and I had always yearned for a good relationship with Anna again—just like when we were little.

"I'm here now, Anna. I forgive you for everything."

"Thank you—_so much,"_ she sniffles. "I'm going to make it up to you. I promise. I will never ignore you again."

Rapunzel piped up while Anna and I were still locked in embrace. "I can't believe some wacko tried to kill you and Max Snow; I wonder why."

"People are just messed up," Anna replied, having no clue of the fact that Jack was a secret agent, targeted by many people. "But—Elsa, do you have yourself a new boyfriend?"

"N—no," I laugh, partially lying. I mean, were Jack and I—together? I wasn't sure. "We're just friends."

After my reunion with Anna, I went to the lost and found to retrieve my fallen backpack and phone. But strange enough: they weren't there.

"That's so weird," Anna was with me. "You'll probably have to tell Auntie, and we'll have to disable your phone if we can't find it after. But I know—it sucks."

The school had changed after Jack and I's disappearance. The security system was improved, and specifically Jack and I couldn't leave campus for a week. Teachers were hard on us and required us to make up extra work—I struggled in classes, because I wasn't paying much attention as usual. My thoughts were set on the action-packed adventure I experienced—and I wondered if I would have one like it again.

* * *

_Jack_

"Dude, we were all worried sick!" Flynn yells out, as a crowd forms around me. "Where the hell were you?"

"We were freaked out—the criminal chased us, and I grabbed a motorcycle. We stayed at an inn, but now we're fine."

"We're glad for your safe return, Mr. Snow," a cool, slick voice sounds aloud. I look forward to meet the same set of intimidating yellow eyes—Pitch.

"Thank you," I respond idly.

Hans speaks up. "That was my motorcycle, you idiot. You're paying for the damage on the back."

I gulped. "I'm so sorry."

"Calm yourself, Mr. Westergard," says Pitch. "He had no other options while being chased."

Hans shut up then, but his face resembled a stubborn baby about to throw a tantrum.

"Come, now, Mr. Snow. We'll get you cleaned up in the house."

I nod, but as I'm being dragged away by the Nightmares—I steal one last glance at Elsa: the only one I trusted.

After I was granted some space from my frat brothers—especially Flynn, I snuck outside at night to retrieve an email. I rolled down my sleeve and tapped on my watch's screen, viewing a recent report sent from Bunny.

_"We found something big. The note's background symbol of a sun matches a pub's logo. The pub is near the inn you stayed at; directions are attached. We think that the sender of the note owns this place, so we looked up any sort of contact info for the address. Nothing was found, just like with the fingerprints. You need to go over there tonight and find out what the hell is going on."_

Well, what do you know? I feel a little dazed by this sudden command, considering I had just arrived back, but I respond: _"got it. I'll set out tonight."_

At precisely 11pm, most of the fraternity is up playing nothing else but table tennis. I told Flynn I wanted to get some sleep when he offered me to join—and truthfully, I was supposed to be in bed. I wasn't even supposed to be off campus until the week ended—but I had to go over to that pub tonight.

I sneak out with my directions and take a taxi, making sure my pistol was hidden deep in my pocket in case of an emergency. Rain pours against my window, and I count the drops trickling down. The air was dense and foggy again, and I was expecting a massive storm to roll by.

When we arrive at the pub, I pay the driver and examine my surroundings once he leaves. A long, narrow building with a sign upfront, made up of letters that glowed in the dark, stood before my eyes. I assumed the letters resembled the pub's name—but strange enough, the sign looked distorted. I could tell some letters were missing, and only few remained: "_C-R-A'S BEST BEERS AND WINES"_.

I couldn't make out any words from _C-R-A; _I would have to step inside and gather more information. Upon doing so, the place looked deserted. Most of the lights were out, and it was awfully chilly. The only sign of life in there was a lone bartender wiping the counters nearby.

"Excuse me, are you open?" I step forward. "I'm Max Snow. Just looking for a drink."

The bartender lifted his head up at me, and I noticed he was a tall, musky man with tattoos and piercings covering his body. "What kind of drink?" he speaks in a tough accent.

"Just a beer. Uh—a Budlight."

He fetches an icy bottle, and I sit on a barstool. I look around—the paneled wall has no signs or logos on it, and the room itself seems completely blank.

"May I ask what the pub's name is?" I begin, as I couldn't find a sign of it anywhere. What if the name could be a hint to reveal the murderer of North?

"Why?" he sounds very skeptic. I was taken aback; was my question really that hard to answer? "I'm just curious."

He saunters over to me, a mask of annoyance written over his face. I don't cower back, but bite my lip at his sudden movement.

"Men, _assemble!"_ I hear him shout. "He's here!"

"What? Who's here?" I ask, and before I know it, two other men sprint to me from the back of the bar. The main difference they had from the bartender was that they wore heavy black masks—I couldn't make out their faces.

My gut told me to take out my gun, and I did so. I aimed directly at the three burly men standing in front of me—they freeze on point.

_"Who_ are you talking about?" I bellow.

The bartender smirks deviously, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow. "You—_Jack Frost. _You thought I believed you for a second when you claimed to be Max Snow?"

I inhale sharply. "I swear to god, I'll shoot this—at all three of you—unless you tell me who you work for."

They're silent.

"You all worked with that sniper, didn't you?" I continue.

"Yes—but our Boss—" the second man piped up, only to be slapped on the head by the bartender.

"Don't mention anything! You can't blow our Boss' cover, idiot!"

_"I'll shoot!"_ I remind them. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time—_who do you work for?"_

A crack of thunder sounds above the roof, and I could see storm clouds roll in through the window. The three men are silent again, and I shake my head in disappointment.

"It's such a shame you all are giving up your lives easily," my finger moves closer to the trigger. "Well, I guess I'll just have to—"

_"Wait!"_ yelled the third man, who suddenly fell to the ground on his knees. Was he—pleading? "Por favor, don't do this. I—I have a wife. And a family. I need to feed them."

_"Markos! _You lowlife _coward!" _the bartender sneered. "Once Boss finds out—"

I take the third man's word into consideration. "On my word, I will let you go—and I am a man of my promises. But first, you need to tell me who you work for, and what they want from me."

"They want you to drop the case," he spoke desperately, "Because they murdered the dean of Guardian U, and don't want to be caught. They told us all to look out for you—to kill you if we crossed paths. And—"

_"Enough!" _the first man roared—I wasn't sure now if he really _was_ a bartender, considering he worked for the murderer. "You're not worthy of us anymore—you've betrayed us all! Now, you won't speak another word!"

He tackled him—and being so much bigger than us all, he had the ability to roughly snap his neck. I flinched at his horrifying screams, and without hesitation, shot the attacker.

A bullet pierced into his chest, and he looked down—blood splattered onto the floor. He fell down with a heavy _thud—_and now, I had to rely on the second man to give me the information I needed.

He looked paralyzed in fear, so I broke the silence. "You need to answer these questions for me—now."

He ran.

I took after him, but he was fast. He bolted out the door, legs pumping and arms flailing. I chased him through the parking lot, down a steep hill—my body screamed for air, but I kept my pace. I pulled out my gun to aim at him, but he hopped over a stone wall before I could shoot. My feet pounded through the grass, and I jumped as well to end up in a lot that looked clearly abandoned.

I know there's a cutoff to the area when I spot a high cliff straight ahead of us. _"Stop!"_ I yell out, but he only runs faster, not noticing anything.

I grunt and push myself faster, despite the surge of exhaustion filling my body. _"CLIFF!"_

The man looked back at me, but then halted dead in his tracks when his feet stood at the very edge. Rocks began to crumble down at his sudden impact, and the ground began to split. _"Ah—ahhh!" _he shrieked, as a clap of thunder sounded through the skies.

His shaking legs began to give out as they slid further apart from each other. I sprinted forward—if I saved him, he could give me more information.

"I'll spare you!" I announce, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him toward me. He grunted, and the section of the ground he stood on fell down to the earth below. Dust began to cloud around us, and with all my might, I jerked the both of backwards, but held him in place as he fell on my stomach.

He squirmed, trying to get away from me—I clenched my teeth, deciding to make a threat. "I'll shoot you if you try _anything."_

"You—wouldn't—" he reached his hands out, fingers crawling through the dirt.

My grasp was held tightly around his neck. "I _would—_unless you tell me your boss."

_"Never."_

Another idea came to my mind. "What a shame. Guess I'll just have to find out who _you _are."

Before he could respond, I ripped his mask off to find a haunting set of green eyes stare through mine—tussled auburn hair streaked with dirt and rain.

_"Hans."_

"I—I'm sorry," he gasped. "I'm the nark, I meant no harm—that's why I ran!"

"The nark—so, you're the murderer's little spy." The fact that Hans was a nark takes a while to sink into my brain, but once it does, I clutch onto his neck tighter. _"Were you spying on me this whole time?!" _I feel a rush of anger course in my veins.

_"GL—I—GLURRK!"_

I sigh and let go of his throat, focusing my hold on his arm. _"Answer me."_

"I—I had to!"

My thoughts focus back to the night where I contacted Bunny, and I _thought _a rabbit was the cause of a rustle in the bushes. But, it very well could've been Hans—how could I have been so dumb to not figure that out?

"The true villains have been in front of me this whole time," I sneer, a part of Hans' shirt knotted in my fist. "It was _you _all along! I knew it; I should've done something to Pitch earlier!"

_"Pitch? _What are you talking about?"

"Who else? Your boss! Your companion; your master, who practically has you on a leash! The sender of the_ kind _note I received, and the cold-blooded murderer of his own _uncle."_

"No—it wasn't him..." I saw a twinge of guilt reflect in Hans' eyes.

"Insolent _liar! _You've helped someone who killed his own family, probably just to earn a good spot in that damned fraternity of yours; you _coward!"_

"Max—"

"Don't even _try _calling me that anymore! You knew my cover, my _real _name from the start anyway—and if Pitch wanted me dead, why couldn't he have just fought me himself, like a _man?_ For what he did, and for hiring you all to do his dirty work, _he _should die!"

"It wasn't him! He's not my boss!"

"Then _who _is?!" I experience the urge to beat him until he responds, but I hold my frustration in.

He gulps.

"_Well?" _I hiss.

From that moment on, I realize he wasn't gulping from the fear of _me. _He was gulping from the fear of someone else—of the dark shadow that lurked over me as I was knelt on the grass beside Hans. I wasn't aware of it, until I felt a heavy object bash against my head.

I gasp and fall to the floor; a mocking chuckle echoes, harmonizing with the thunder rolling by. "Very good work, Hans—you've captured him right at Corona's Best Beers and Wines!"

My eyes widened; black dots began to fill my vision, but from here—everything clicked to me. So Hans wasn't lying about Pitch being the true murderer after all!

I lift my head up to meet a face that I was once thought was friendly and giddy; long blonde hair is strewn across the murderer's face, and a pair of dark green orbs seemingly scorch my sight from all the insanity and madness cluttered in them. "R—Rapunzel..."

"Well, you found my family's bar after all!" she cackled. "You've arrived sooner than expected, though—I was hoping I could send you more notes."

"You think this is some sort of _game?"_ I growl.

"Of course," I see her bounce the heavy object she used on me in her hand—it was a frying pan. "But, it won't be complete—at least, until we retrieve that _lovely _girlfriend of yours."

"_No! Not Elsa!"_ I roar, mustering all the strength I have left to prop myself up on one elbow.

She laughed cruelly, and stepped on my arm above me—it fell limp. "Don't worry, I won't hurt her. That is—if you do what I say."

"I don't understand! You, out of all people, murdered the dean? _Why?"_

She gritted her teeth together. "That shouldn't matter to you, _Frost. _You should only be concerned about your immense stupidity—I mean, how could you not have known this was my family's place?"

"Because you cleared all contact information from the internet—and the sign is distorted, if you can't tell! I would've seen your last name if it weren't for the missing letters." I would've spit in her face if her foot wasn't crushing my arm at the moment.

"Well, a girl _must _be careful with her sources—you would've caught me if I didn't clear it, or break the sign myself. Screwdrivers _do _come in handy nowadays."

"You witch! I should've known all along!"

"You're right, you should've. But you're too stupid to be an agent—you're worthy of _nothing. _You probably only found this pub because the note I sent was one of our signature cards, which, may I say, was a hint that took you _forever _to catch onto."

"I should be saying _you're _worthless; you disgusting, murderous, crazy bit—"

"_Ah ah ah!_ Where were we, now?" she scolds me. "Right! I was at that part where I'd knock you out."

"Flynn's going to find out all about this! _All of it!"_

"But you won't escape to tell him, Frost. You'll _never _escape."

With that, she held the frying pan up once more—and right as it hit me again, the darkness swallowed me.

The last thing that flooded my mind was the beautiful face of Elsa's: my love—who was now in danger.

* * *

**A/N: **So here's a plot twist for you all! I focused on Jack thinking Pitch was the main suspect at first—but trust me, Pitch isn't 100% innocent either. Though he's not the true killer, he's a part of the situation that led up to the murder of North, which will be explained soon! (Also, I wanted to say that my idea for the note's background and pub's logo [a sun] came from Tangled: the symbol of the kingdom Corona. That way, it's not too random.)

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Rapunzel. I only used her as the villain because I thought it would be an interesting twist; I actually adore her. Thank you for reading!


	8. Mission 1: Hidden Roots

**A/N: **Well, writing villain!Rapunzel was fun—and interesting. Gosh, I love her. She's going to sound really creepy in her flashbacks, but this _is _her side of the story.

Also, I want you all to know, I'll be a lot more busy now because I'm leaving for boarding school tomorrow—this is why I'm updating now. I'll try to write as much as I can while I'm there, but I'll have a lot of things to do; I wish summer could last forever. If I don't update for a while, that doesn't mean I've forgotten about the story. Maybe I won't be as busy as I think upon arriving—I don't even know yet. I just wanted to give you all a heads up.

* * *

_2 Months Ago_

_Rapunzel_

"You're sure no one will catch us?"

I look over to him, admiring his beautiful stance—his bright eyes blazed with vivacious passion, and his tall frame stood in front of the window as the moonlight seemed to trace all parts of his body. His hair was tussled and out of place, but I found it attractive.

"No one can," I speak in the sultry voice I can manage as I lay on his bed. "And no one will."

He put down a glass of champagne he held in his sturdy hands on his dresser, and then, ever so slowly, he stalked toward me. "What about Flynn?"

"You know I only use him for popularity."

"Ah, yes," his long fingers crawled up the sheets as his body sank down into the mattress—inching their way toward my legs. "But, aren't I much more popular?"

"Of course. But I can't be with you; this is only an affair."

"Why can't you be with me, my sweet?"

I bite my lip and inhale sharply. "I'm sure you've had affairs with many other girls. I'm not certain I'm your type."

His fingers grazed my thigh, and I trembled at his sudden touch. "You're exactly my type," he smirked.

I looked into his eyes again, slowly sinking—falling—drowning into a great ocean of love. He wasn't about love, and I knew that—but I couldn't help my emotions.

_Silly girl,_ a voice in the back of my head taunted me. _The feelings in affairs resemble the exact opposite of love. They contain cheating, betrayal—hate._

I wish I listened to that voice, even to this day. I wish the story ended here; I wish I had never gotten myself into the huge mess I'm in right now, where I have to constantly lie and cover up, lie and cover up—repeating the cycle endlessly.

But now, it's too late to wish for an ounce of hope.

"Really?" I was taken aback by his words.

"Really," he breathed, and pressed his lips to mine.

We began to kiss deeply, and my heart melted more and more within every second. "Oh, I love you—Pitch."

* * *

_Jack_

_Darkness._

It was the last thing I saw before drifting off; it's all I've ever known before I learned to love again—but now, it's back, and is the first thing I see upon waking up. I feel a blindfold draped over my eyes; I try to reach my hands up to pull it off—only to have my hands confined by heavy chains. I grunt as the chains' cuffs imprint into my wrists; the freezing bottom of a metal chair numbs my legs, and a wisp of pain shoots through my head—from the frying pan. I began to remember everything.

"Don't struggle," I hear the voice of Hans echo near me. "It'll only make it worse."

"Release me," I demand.

"I can't. I was ordered to watch you and make sure you don't escape."

I disobey his command to hold still, and thrash around, a feeling of determination aching in my heart. I recalled arriving at the pub, facing Rapunzel, and—Elsa. No, god, no! Please, not Elsa; Rapunzel was going to hurt her.

"Where is your—boss?" I spit my words out like venom as I seethe anger.

"Gone."

Gone. Dammit, she can't just be—gone! Not after everything she's done: murdering an innocent man; assembling a team to kill me; going after an innocent girl. She knew Elsa was my weakness, and she was going to bring her here.

"She's going to capture Elsa, isn't she?"

Hans remained silent. He would've protested to the fact if it weren't true—but the both of us knew that was clearly Rapunzel's true intention.

"Where the hell am I?" I begin.

"Stop asking questions; it'll only hurt you in the end."

"No," I hiss. "You don't understand; I'm not just going to give up and watch Rapunzel follow through with her evil plans. I'll never give up, and I'll never stop fighting—so get that clear into your head!"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Frost! Do you want to be harmed?"

I wanted to say more, but I had to use common sense; I stopped myself after slightly opening my mouth. I had to stick around for Elsa—I had to save my strength for Rapunzel. "No. I don't."

"Then shut up and stay silent."

I gritted my teeth together—Elsa's sister, Anna, was going to find out about her boyfriend sooner or later. But I wasn't worried about that—right now, I was focused on what Rapunzel had in store for us.

* * *

_Elsa_

"Which do you like better? The blue or green?"

I look up to see Anna holding two dresses in front of her, as we sit in my dorm room. They were both cocktail dresses and quite fashionable; I liked both.

"Don't know. They're both cute."

Anna says she'll come to a decision later, and then begins to babble about her classes, Hans—to the point where I wasn't listening. But, speaking of classes, my thoughts wandered to the fact that I didn't see Jack in any of mine today. He hadn't been gone for long yet, so no one noticed a fatal disappearance again—but I knew he was not one to leave without telling me. I was the only one who knew his true identity—I felt so alone and sick. My heart was heavy, and fear twisted at every gut in my body when I thought about Jack in danger. I just had to keep telling myself I was overreacting.

I think back to his words from our first night at Olaf's inn: _"My life is—dangerous. But I can handle the cases I'm assigned to—I can dodge the bullets fired at me. And I promise, as long as I'm here—no one will hurt you."_

I gulp. _But you're not here, Jack. And I'm scared._

Suddenly, I'm snapped out of my thoughts as Anna yells: "Hello? Earth to Elsa!"

"Oh! I'm here," I pipe up.

"Well, what do you think?"

"About what?"

She rolled her eyes. "You weren't listening."

"I'm sorry." I wanted to tell her there was a lot on my mind at the moment, but she wouldn't understand. No one would.

"All I said was that I made a friend, Kristoff, but when we hug and stuff—you know, in the friendly way, I can't help but notice a romantic spark. It's not my fault, but I feel so bad because I'm dating Hans."

"I'd rather you date him than Hans. Actually, I'm fine with anyone but Hans, for that matter."

"Why do you hate him so much?" she chuckles, not catching onto my seriousness.

I take a deep breath, but before I can respond properly, the door flies open.

"Guys!" Rapunzel barges in, a dainty smile on her face, "What's up?"

"Hey, hun!" Anna steps forward to embrace her. "You look awfully chipper."

"Well, you know how I get after hanging around Flynn," she sighs romantically, and then pulls me into a massive, bone-crushing hug. "Hi, Elsa!"

_What the hell?_ She's never hugged me, only Anna. I don't pull away, as I don't want to appear rude, but I remain still like a motionless statue. "Uh—hi," I squeak.

She releases me and smiles, green eyes sparkling fiercely; Anna is oblivious to her strange behavior as she fusses with her dresses.

"So I was thinking—maybe the three of us could go on a group outing tonight. Like, a GNO."

"A Girls Night Out!" Anna cheers, but then her smile fades. "I have to study for this big test, though; I should probably head back to my dorm now—why don't the two of you go?"

"That'd be amazing!" Rapunzel squeals. "You're in, Elsa, right?"

"Um, I don't know," I respond. "I might just, uh—study for Math."

"I'm in your class. Our test isn't till a while; come on, it'll be fun!" she pushes me. "It'll be like roomie bonding, and I'll pay for everything. My treat."

Anna walks out the door, leaving me utterly confused. "Well," I manage to speak softly, "Maybe we could wait until Anna can go with us."

I can see determination gleam in her eyes; I assumed she would continue pestering me about it—but rather, she apologized.

"Okay, we can. But I just want you to know, I'm sorry about ignoring you to hang out with Anna instead. I guess I want to become better friends with you—since you're my roommate."

My eyes widened. "Why are you saying all of this now?"

"I had a major change in heart, Elsa. I realized how selfish I was before, and I want to make it up."

The way she said it made me want to believe her; she sounded awfully convincing. And if she was going to pay for the whole night—how could it hurt me? Besides, I didn't feel like being cooped up here now.

"Okay," I sigh. "Just let me get ready."

* * *

_Rapunzel_

The intensity of the affair was growing stronger. I saw Pitch with other girls on campus during the day—but in the night, I was his only lover. His only companion. Even on the nights that I wasn't with him, I knew he would be alone. I knew this as I was so obsessed with him—which I was guilty of and cursed myself for—that I peeked through his room's window on these nights, noticing there was no one else with him. And I would stay and watch him, sound asleep—peering at his perfectly sculpted body rising up and down within his every breath.

I never broke up with Flynn, as I was scared. I wasn't sure how to explain myself—and besides, I had his company during the daytime.

I remember vividly how Pitch and I would lay in bed, his arms snaked around my waist—and everything felt so warm. Everyone said he was a cold, cold person—but from my experiences, I felt such amazing heat radiate from his body to mine.

"It's so horrible," I'd say, "That I feel nothing but love from this affair."

He smiled, tracing his agile finger down my cheek. "Fate works in mysterious ways."

My heart jumps. "You're saying we were meant to be?"

He chuckles, but it's not a mocking chuckle—it's an amused one. "You never know."

* * *

_Elsa_

I change into light skinny jeans and a floral top, wondering what on earth had gotten into Rapunzel earlier. I appreciated her sweetness and apology—but I wasn't dumb enough to not notice: something seemed off. I guess that spending time with Jack, as an agent, made my wit sharper and my gut stronger—but Rapunzel was my roommate. I shouldn't be over-exaggerating about the matter.

"So, where are we going?" I asked her upon stepping out of the bathroom.

"We're gonna go bowling, to the movies, and then we'll visit the Nightmare House for a party. Flynn invited me and said I could bring a friend."

"What kind of party?" I ask nervously. I almost didn't even consider attending one, as I was an outcast—but things have seemed to change lately. People saw me with Jack, and I guess I was liked a little more than before. But that still didn't change anything, at least to me.

"A very special kind," she laughs. "I don't know the theme yet, though."

Time seemed to pass by very quickly, but Rapunzel began to warm up to me at a good pace. Maybe being her friend wouldn't be too bad—I could grow on her giddiness if I hadn't found it super annoying.

I got a strike in bowling, and she happily jumped up and down, cheering and hooting—and during the movies, she leaned over to my seat, whispering various things: _"What's happening? I don't understand this. Why would he do that? Urgh, why haven't they kissed yet?"_

The night drew to a closing as we approached the Nightmare House. There were no bright lights flashing about, and the house looked awfully quiet and peaceful. At this, I felt a bit suspicious.

"Rapunzel," I say as we walk onto the front porch, "I've had a great time, really. But I'm kind of tired. I think I should—"

"Oh, come on, Elsa," she tugs onto my arm. "Please don't leave. It's gonna be fun! It's never too late to party."

"I think they're all asleep," I argue.

"Oh, pish posh. Let's go."

She forcefully pulls me to the door, and at this, I'm surprised. "No," I fought back. "I've been having a rough day. Some sleep would be nice!"

"You're such a Debbie Downer!"

"Well, then, if I don't fit into your crowd and I don't like to party because I'm such an outcast—why would you drag me on a night out in the first place?" I finally confronted her about her odd behavior.

Her green eyes darkened. "Your little Max Snow is in there, just so you know."

My heart skips a beat. I was glad Jack was fine, but—why was she saying this?

"Wait," she corrects herself, slowly reaching her hands down to her jean pockets. "I mean—Jack Frost. Right?"

I never trusted Rapunzel; I was only her acquaintance because she was my roommate, but now, I was glad I didn't. But relief is the last thing I feel—fright sparks in my body, and my instincts tell me to run as she pulls out a chloroformed handkerchief from her jeans.

_How could she know about him?_ I think as I jump from the porch, my feet taking off into the pavement. _Did she—work with the sniper?_

My heart pounds against my chest as she sprints after me. I huffed; she was a good runner. But I couldn't look back; it would only slow me down.

I wasn't mostly scared because of this cat and mouse chase—I was scared from all this confusion I felt. I thought Rapunzel was innocent and harmless, but her words and actions seemed to prove otherwise.

"Watch out, Anderson!" she laughs. I look down, only to trip over a branch. Once my knees hit the ground, I fumble around, but before I can scurry away: the handkerchief is draped over my mouth. I felt my consciousness slowly slipping from my grasp.

"Yes," she continues. "I have completed the plan's second stage: to capture you! Now, onto the final stage! Get ready for this special party, honey—because you're invited!"

* * *

_Jack_

The door swung open, and a beam of bright light flooded through the room I was confined in. Rapunzel dragged an unconscious Elsa in, dropping her at my feet.

"What have you done to her?" I growled. I knew struggling would get me nowhere, as Hans said before, but the anger I felt was beginning to bubble to the surface—I just wished I had the strength to break these chains apart.

"Relax. I only put some chloroform on her pretty little mouth," Rapunzel smirked—god, I wish I could wipe that smug smile clean off her face. "You know, I never thought you'd make it this far—I thought you'd be done for when my sniper came to attack, but I guess you're a better match than I thought. But, enough about that; we need to get down to business right away."

She took out a dagger, with a blade already dipped in innocent blood. Could that be—North's?

"You crazy, psychotic bitch..."

"Drop the case, or I'll kill her."

"Really?" I breathe. "Simple as that?"

"No, but I can't spoil the fun I have in store for this game; can I? This is only the first round."

"Go to hell," I spat. "This isn't a damn game!"

"Do you want her to die?" she looked dead serious this time, pointing the dagger to Elsa's neck. I gulped; she grazed the weapon down to her torso, stopping right at her heart.

"No."

"Then drop the case."

"You're going to have to talk to my boss," I protested.

"Actually, no. You'll talk to him," she ordered; Hans threw a phone into my lap.

"And what the hell am I going to say to him?"

"That you want to quit the case."

I look at her in disbelief. "He'll just replace me with another agent, you know."

"I'll kill him too. In fact, I'll kill all of them," she snarled. "One. By. One."

"Good luck with that," I laugh.

She presses the dagger harder into Elsa's skin, and I wince. Elsa was innocent and took no part in this—I couldn't let her be harmed because of me.

Maybe I wasn't meant to be an agent after all.

She had shown me so much love after letting me in, and honestly, I had never been happier in my life in her company; I couldn't deny that. I wanted to keep that happiness, because as exciting as it was—the life of an agent began to get old to me. I wanted a change, and Rapunzel was right. I wasn't worthy of being a spy; I had lied to Bunny about Elsa, and now, people would get hurt because of me.

I already lost my parents; I had no close family left after my father abandoned me, and after my mom passed. I couldn't lose Elsa now; I would make sure the both of us would escape here, and I would warn the agency about Rapunzel's intentions to kill everyone. Then, maybe, we could win.

"Fine," I grunt in defeat. "I'll call him."

* * *

_Rapunzel_

Fall passed, and as the withered leaves began to drift to the ground—the air growing colder—my love for Pitch sprouted from a bud to a tree.

I never knew if he loved me—I would tell him I loved him, but his response was only a meek smile or simple nod. That was, until, we lay in the same bed—the fireplace running low, embers sparkling in its cheery glow—and he said those three words back that I had so desired to hear.

From there, I thought everything was perfect. I was about to break up with Flynn—I had prepared a full speech, in fact.

But it never happened.

Before I could make way to Flynn, a teacher escorted me to Dean North's office—North was none other than Pitch's uncle. But surely, he could know nothing about the affair, right?

Wrong. Pitch and I sat across his desk as we were both scolded harshly; we had violated the college's rules that strictly involved no sexual acts on campus—but mostly, North was concerned for the goodwill of his nephew. He deemed me as a bad influence and naughty girl—it seemed my heart was torn in half when he broke us apart. But what hurt the most was that I was not expelled—I still had to endure seeing Pitch flaunt around other girls in the day.

I received a text from him later on, asking if we could meet in the back woods. I was hesitant on agreeing, considering our chances of getting caught. But I felt I had to see him again; I had to talk to him.

When we met up, as I held what was left of my heart in my hand, his last words to me were: _"This isn't our fault, you know. My uncle's the reason we can't be together."_

I _hated_ North from that moment on.

I knew I was forbidden from interacting with Pitch again, or who knows what else—but I couldn't help staring through his bedroom window again, just for one more night.

He was with someone.

My torn heart was ripped to the extreme, and slowly, it flaked off into brittle pieces. I had never experienced this much pain before—and I just wanted it to leave me alone.

I was so in love that I fell into a dream—which turned out to be a nightmare I would never wake up from. I was so obsessed, so broken—I don't know what drove me to plan the murder of North. I wasn't a serial killer or sociopath—I was only a lost, depressed girl.

From there, I couldn't help but feel curious about how many girls Pitch was with. I thought that what we had was special, but now, I realized I was too stupid to believe that.

I couldn't help but visit outside Pitch's window again, and again afterward. I knew it would hurt me too much, but I figured I couldn't be pained anymore; I was already brokenhearted to the max. One of the nights I watched him doing despicable things with a despicable girl, my fingers traced around the dagger in my backpack, that I had brought for no particular reason—or, did I bring it for cruel motives? I didn't know. I was so confused with my emotions.

I kept watching, and running my fingers over the knife, but I never found the strength to use it. I couldn't. And, my hate wasn't centered toward Pitch; it was mainly toward his uncle.

That's when I decided to visit North's office.

The keys weren't hard to get at 5am. I seduced North's security guard without him knowing my identity, as I wore a black mask, and he handed them to me for one night.

I hijacked the security cameras, made sure nothing was left behind—and slowly pulled the knob open with my gloved hand that led to North's office.

He had passed out in his office chair, sleeping safe and sound—so snug, like a little baby. A sinister smile crept across my face; I raised the dagger I brought. _Revenge has never tasted any sweeter..._

I don't know what drove me to sink the weapon into his chest. Maybe my feelings of anger and rage mixed together, becoming stronger than ever—or perhaps my heart was so torn that I lost all empathy for others. Don't get me wrong, it took me a while to pull myself together and just _do_ it.

But I did it. And that's when this huge mess started, where I had to lie and cover up repeatedly.

After muffling North's last scream with my hand, I began to examine the blood seeping out from his wound. It poured out quickly, trickling down his arms, dripping onto the carpeted floor and staining it.

And then, from this moment on, I realized I would regret my actions.

Love, replaced with fury and jealousy, made me do something crazy—and honestly, I became scared. Traumatized, even. I gasped at his deceased corpse.

_What have I done?_

I couldn't let anyone find out about this. This had to remain hidden. From this moment on, I decided to keep Flynn and have everything remain a secret, as twisted as it was.

I would do everything in my power to make sure no one would find out about this murder.

* * *

**A/N: **Even though Jack and Elsa don't know it yet, we now know the reason Rapunzel murdered North. I figured that you don't have to be a huge serial killer or deadly criminal to kill someone; you could be the quiet, sweet person who has been through a lot, and changed from that.

I'll hopefully update soon. Thank you for your amazing support, everyone!


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